


Eremophobia

by SirensSong



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alpha!Merlin, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Bonding, Knotting, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mpreg, Omegaverse, omega!Arthur
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-07-17
Updated: 2013-07-17
Packaged: 2017-12-20 12:03:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/887052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SirensSong/pseuds/SirensSong
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Twice a year, Camelot's Alpha Prince vanishes for two weeks, on a 'mission' from his father. But he always goes alone, and he always comes back unscathed. No one knows the true reason behind the trips. Until Merlin comes along.</p><p>Or, the one where Merlin is his nosy self, Arthur is actually an Omega, and Merlin follows him just to find him in the middle of his heat.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Eremophobia

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first fanfic I've posted in a long time, and I'm still adjusting to AO3, so I promise to fix any errors with the formatting as soon as I notice them.

More than anything else, Arthur had always hated feeling weak.

He supposed that was the biggest shock when, shortly after his sixteenth birthday, he found out the truth. About everything. About his mother and how magic had been used to allow a Beta woman to birth the child of an Alpha. About how it had backfired and taken her life and that was the reason magic was banned and why his father was so bitter. About himself. Things about himself he never would have suspected, but found that once he knew offered up more of a bone-deep terror than a shock.

He wasn't an Omega. He just wasn't. He was an Alpha; he couldn't remember ever not identifying as one. Of course, he had identified as a small child, like everyone did, before his memory started to actually be reliable. Regardless, though, he was built like an Alpha, smelled like one, trained and fought with the best of them. He was the best in his class of training knights, and his father had been proud to announce that it probably wouldn't be long before he was announced the first knight and training the others became his responsibility. He was an Alpha, and he was the Prince of Camelot.

Except apparently, he wasn't. According to Gaius, who had secured the door to his chambers and then the door to the little spare room to make sure no one would overhear the telling, he had always been an Omega. "There are herbs," he explained slowly, his voice gentling as he seemed to realize Arthur was going to have a complete meltdown over all the information being slammed into him that contradicted everything he had ever known, his entire life. "Don't get me wrong, child, you're still an Omega. That can't be changed. But the way you think and smell and act - that all can be. I didn't want to do it, Arthur. But Uther was convinced the people would not follow an Omega or accept one as their ruler. That, and he was afraid for you. He wanted you to be able to fight and protect yourself, to be successful. I have no doubts that you would have been able to accomplish all that either way, but had your true nature been revealed, you would have been coddled. You would not be allowed to enter tourneys or to go to war, heaven forbid Camelot has one anytime soon. Even beyond that, you would rarely be allowed outside the city parameters without an entourage to protect you."

Arthur was silent and wide-eyed through the entire explanation, trying to make sense of what he was being told. He had never taken any tonics or remedies from Gaius, so how had these herbs been given to him for so long without his knowledge? And Alphas and Omegas were built differently, so surely if any of this were true he would have known. His own nature couldn't really have been hidden from him his entire life.

It seemed it could, though, as all his unvoiced questions were answered as he returned his attention to Gaius. Apparently the herbs were given to him each night with his dinner, slipped into the food in a fashion he wouldn't notice. Gaius provided them to the head cook who was in charge of the prince's meals, and though she didn't know their purpose, she followed instructions. As for his body, they had also been giving him herbs to repress any sexual drive, which explained why he had never paid much mind to the now obvious lack of a knot and attraction to the smell of an unbonded or in heat Omega.

When the explanation finally seemed over, Arthur took quick, shallow breaths as his mind spun to try and reconcile everything he thought to be truth with the new information. When he finally found his voice, he looked up and asked, "Why are you telling me this?"

Gaius sighed heavily, seeming put-upon. "Your father and I discussed at length when it would be the right time to tell you. He would have preferred you never know, but I'm afraid that's not possible. Normally you would have already had your first heat, Arthur, but thankfully the herbs have been enough to suppress it. With how closely you work with so many Alphas, though, likely sooner rather than later your body and its need to cycle will override the herbs and your true nature will come out. If this happens here, in Camelot, you understand how dangerous that would be." Slowly, Arthur nodded. "There has been a cabin set up deep into a wooded area about a three day's ride from the city. It has-" The physician paused, lips pursed, and looked around, even though they were locked into the tiny little spare room off of his quarters. When he finally spoke again, he had lowered his voice even further. "Your safety is of the utmost importance to the king. There are magical wards around this cabin, so no one but you will be able to go in and out of it. Twice a year, you will leave under the guise of going on a quest, and go to this cabin. You will need to stock it with food and drink for the duration of your heat. Once everything is secure, you'll take a tonic that will force the heat. Your nature being as suppressed as it is, a little prompting is all it will take to release everything. Once it's over, you'll spend two more days at the cabin for the suppressants to begin working fully again, and return to Camelot."

Everything that came after that seemed irrelevant, mostly information about the Omega body, how it worked - much more in-depth than what he had been taught when they assumed him an Alpha - and what he could expect during the heat. Two separate little pouches were pressed into his hand, one containing a vial to press his heat into starting and another of the herbs to take once it was over to return to smelling and feeling like an Alpha. Once that was done and he was instructed to ride out the next morning, he was sent to bed.

As could only be expected, he didn't sleep. He couldn't. He still didn't understand how it was possible he was an Omega, and besides that, there were so many questions he had. What would happen when he came of age? Would he never be allowed to bond to a mate? He supposed not, as he'd likely have to keep up the guise of an Alpha his entire life and he couldn't very well bond to an Omega if he was one himself. He would admit that the thought saddened him, if only slightly. And then there was the question of succession. Hiding his nature, he would never be able to produce children. While that had little effect on him then, he figured it would once he was older. He couldn't deny that he was definitely bitter about having been forced to hide his true nature, even if he would rather be an Alpha. By denying him that, it seemed to him then that his father and Gaius had made the decision to condemn him to a life on his own.

That was the thought foremost on his mind when he rode out for the cabin the next day, alone, armed with his sword and a crossbow to hunt with and the two little pouches carefully tucked away.

\---

Rather than going away as the years passed, Arthur's bitterness remained, though most of it had morphed into resignation. He might not agree with his father's idea that the kingdom would not follow an Omega as a leader like they did an Alpha, but there was no chance he had to change it now. The only times the bitterness really surfaced, made him angry and upset, were during the trips he took to the secluded cabin twice a year. It wasn't bad the first few years. He was still a teenager then, nowhere near ready to look for a mate and have a desire for a family. It started to get harder when he came of age, at twenty one, and was coronated as the official Crown Prince. Normally it was then that he would have started seeking a mate, and he knew there were whispers in the castle when he remained as uninterested and distant from the court Omegas as ever. The herbs to drive away his sexual drive were long gone, but even with the forced nature, he could never find himself willing to court any of them. It was as much for their sakes as his own, since he could never bond with any of them.

The heats themselves were miserable, almost painful with the need that would surface and that he knew would never be satisfied, without even the comfort of another Omega to hush and gentle him through it all. The days before and after it were worse, though. By the time he was twenty two he ached for mate, the knowledge he would never have one physically painful, almost crippling in its intensity. And even though the idea had disturbed him when he was younger, he wanted a child as well, his mate's baby, to carry and eventually nurse and raise with his Alpha. 

It seemed natural to crave all that desperately when his true nature had free reigns over him, but as soon as he took the suppressants again and the Alpha nature started to kick back in, he hated the desires. He hated feeling weak, and he never felt more so than during the transition stage when there was still enough of his Omega nature to _want_ fiercely, but enough Alpha, the views he had grown up with, to consider them pitiful and make him hate them. 

When he returned from his latest heat, the second of the two he would have while he was twenty two, Gaius was waiting to introduce him to someone.

\---

Though he was wary of coming to Camelot, Merlin knew somehow it was the right path for him to follow. It was dangerous, of course, considering his magic, but he and his mother both agreed it would be worse if he was discovered and captured by King Cenred. He was fully aware he was powerful, but he would not be used as a weapon. They had debated a while back when he had been nineteen, him leaving then. But he was still a teenager, and having depended so completely on his mother his whole life, he wasn't quite ready to leave her yet. There was also the fact that he had become somewhat of a protector for the Omegas in the villages who weren't bonded. He may have been an Alpha just like many others, but for reasons he didn't understand he never felt the overwhelming desire to claim like the others did. He imagined it had something to do with his magic. Because he knew he was powerful enough to easily dominate anyone else in his village, he felt no need to assert that dominance on Omegas who couldn't fight off any unwanted pursuers. The smell of one in heat was still incredibly hard to resist, since it pulled at a deeper level of instincts to claim and breed, but he had become extraordinarily good over the years at dulling his senses. If one of the Omegas was going into heat and hadn't been courted by a specific Alpha or didn't want to bond, Merlin would act as a sort of watch for the duration of their heat, chasing away other opportunistic Alphas.

So it was understandable when he was reluctant to leave, even if the only ones in the village who actually liked him were those Omegas. Everyone else tended to steer relatively clear of him, wary of the way he was able to ignore his instincts. He did have Will though, and Will was more than enough. Content with his mother and his best friend and the Omegas he protected, Merlin ended up continuing to put off leaving Ealdor for Camelot. He was twenty four when he finally left, grief-stricken at the death of his best friend. Will was gone, and now everywhere Merlin went he was only reliving memories, and each one only made it more difficult to bear.

"I can't stay here anymore, Mum," he said, his voice rough thanks to his tight throat. His bag was already packed, nothing more than a change of clothes and a little bit of food for the journey. He had written to Gaius, their only connection in Camelot, the day after Will's death and had received the reply containing Gaius' confirmation of a place for him in Camelot that morning.

"I know," his mother responded, always sweet and understanding but unable to completely cover the lingering sadness in her expression. "Go on, dear boy. Be happy in Camelot." She reached up to cup his cheek, using the soft touch to pull him down so she could kiss his forehead. He really wasn't a boy anymore, she acknowledged. He may have still looked like one when he gave one of his big, quirky smiles, but she had to remind herself he was very much a man. "I do love you, but your place is no longer here with me. You should have made your way away years ago." She shook her head and held up a hand, cutting off his protests of being needed before he could voice them, and simply said again, "Go on."

Giving her a matching sad smile, Merlin leaned down and pulled Hunith into a hug. "Love you too, Mum," he said, then pulled back and turned away before he could change his mind and decide to stay with his mother. He adjusted his pack on his shoulder, throwing her one last look, and then he set off for Camelot. Perhaps, he allowed himself to think with a small smile, there really would be a place for him in the city.

Had Merlin known what that place was going to be - or to be more accurate, how it would start - he probably would have turned around and gone straight back to Ealdor.

\---

After the initial 'Merlin, Prince Arthur. Arthur, Merlin.' customary introduction, Gaius quickly ducked out of the prince's chambers and made his way back to his quarters. He had secured Merlin a position as Arthur's manservant, seeing as Arthur had a tendency to run them off fairly quickly and from what he had heard and seen Merlin would at least give him a fight before turning tail. It was unusual for an Alpha to have a position as a servant, but Arthur probably needed it to keep him in line. He only frightened the Betas and Omegas.

After Gaius left there were a few moments of awkward silence before Arthur said, "Right then, Merlin. If you're to be my manservant, then this is the list of your chores for today." He then proceeded to list off a number of things that would take an experienced servant at least a full day to complete. Roughly an hour passed before Merlin found himself in the stocks for what would be the first of many times over the course of the next six months for calling Arthur a prat.

\---

Despite the fact that they didn't get along at all, they really did. In a strange sort of way. Later on Arthur would admit he had always been drawn to Merlin, though at present he just claimed he was an irritating idiot. He just couldn't understand the Alpha, though. Arthur had grown up surrounded mostly by (at that point other) Alphas. With the suppression, they never had any effect on him. He knew people in the castle wondered if he could feel attraction at all, and sometimes he did too, considering he never did with the exception of the days when he was alone in the cabin. Yet here was Merlin, the most unconventional Alpha he had ever met - and really, the man acted more like a Beta than anything else - and Arthur could rarely get his mind off him. While it might have been attributed to the fact that they were almost constantly together, his instincts told him it was more than that. His confusion over this, however, usually only led to more irritation towards his manservant.

For his part, Merlin was just as confused. Arthur set off the same protective instincts in him as the Omegas in Ealdor had, but that just didn't make sense. The prince was so clearly an Alpha, yet he wanted to shield him from all the knights and other Alphas that drew near. It was baffling, to say the least. 

At least, it was baffling until roughly six months after he arrived in Camelot and started his job as Arthur's manservant. 

"Merlin," Arthur said from where he was sitting at the table in his chambers eating the dinner that had been brought up to him. "I need you to pack clothes for me sufficient for roughly a fortnight as well as go down to the kitchens and have them prepare food for my travels."

"Oh, are we going somewhere tomorrow?" Merlin asked, pausing for a minute with one of Arthur's pillows in his hand. He had been turning down the prince's bed for the night while he waited for him to finish dinner so he could go to bed himself. The idea of another journey with Arthur was both a relief and a bother to him, though. He enjoyed the time with just the two of them, though he still didn't know why, considering it also meant plenty of extra work. 

"No," Arthur said almost before Merlin had finished speaking. "You're staying here. My father has given me a quest I must complete, but I must do it _alone_." Perhaps, he realized belatedly, it would have been better to go without informing Merlin. It wasn't as if he hadn't decided to chase after Arthur on journeys where he had specified needing to be alone in the past. Not that it would really matter if he did follow, of course, since he wouldn't be able to get into the cabin. 

And looking up at his manservant, he could already tell there was going to be an argument. "Arthur," Merlin started, in his best come-on-now-you're-not-serious voice. "You can't go somewhere without me."

"I can and I will," the prince insisted, trying to imbue every ounce of Alpha-ness that coursed through him into his voice. It had never really worked to cow Merlin, the other being a strong Alpha in his own right, but Arthur could hope. "You're to stay here, and if I have to have you chained in the dungeon to accomplish that, then so be it. I go alone." He turned away then, striding out of his chambers and outside, deciding some fresh air was the best thing for him just then. If he was gone, his manservant would have no choice but to do as instructed, and once Merlin was gone for the night he could slip out and leave early. He usually waited for morning, but he would do what he had to. Just because Merlin wouldn't be able to get into the cabin didn't mean he wouldn't be able to track Arthur to the cabin, after all, and while he wasn't sure he didn't think the magic did much to keep the smell locked within the cabin's walls. 

The walk in the crisp night air served its purpose and Arthur returned to his chambers much more relaxed than he had been when he had left them. He closed the door and turned to see Merlin stowing a few more articles of clothing in a pack and then closing it, setting it against the wall before turning to face Arthur. "Your clothes are packed and I've already been down to the kitchens," he said, and Arthur noted there was even less respect than usual in his tone. It was blatantly disapproving, so the prince arched an eyebrow in response and walked over to his bed, beginning to pull his boots off. Not that he wouldn't be putting them right back on as soon as Merlin had left, but he couldn't let on that he would be slipping away early. 

"Good," he said, not looking up at the other man. "You're dismissed, then. Good night, Merlin."

"Night, Arthur," Merlin replied, heavy reluctance in his tone. The prince had to repress a shake of his head at that; he would never admit it out loud, but Merlin was clever and had probably figured he was up to something. "I'll see you in the morning," he added, and Arthur did look up at him then, narrowing his eyes at the threat. Instead of debating it, he dipped his head slightly in acknowledgement, and then motioned to the door. Though he was obviously still suspicious, Merlin slipped out of the room.

The prince lounged back on his bed for a few minutes, trying to guess how long it would take his manservant to reach Gaius' chambers and waiting what he deemed a sufficient amount of time before heaving a sigh and sitting back up to tug his boots back on. He'd have to forgo bringing food supplies with him; the kitchen wouldn't have everything prepared for him, and even if they did, it would be too much of a risk that one of them would tell Merlin he had left early. Besides, he convinced himself despite the pang of longing it caused even with his Alpha hormones still at full strength, it wasn't as if he needed to keep well-fed to be fertile and support a possible baby.

\---

Arthur may have thought he was clever, but Merlin knew him quite well for having only known the man six months. He could practically see the prince's plan written all over the way he carried himself when he returned to his chambers, so once he was dismissed, he return to his room only to pack of bag of clothes for himself. He opened the door to Arthur's chambers when he returned and grinned when he noticed the packed clothes and prince himself were both gone; Arthur was so predictable, it was almost too easy.

It was just as easy to quietly saddle his horse while Arthur prepared his own stallion out in the courtyard, and though he waited until the sound of Hengroen cantering along the stone had faded to nothing before moving out of the stables, it was simple to follow. A quietly incanted spell allowed Merlin to see a trail of light leading him in the direction Arthur had gone, linked to the prince as he was. 

It took three days before Arthur reached what seemed to be his destination. Merlin had expected some grand quest, revealing he had followed when he protected the prince from some beast or sorcerer trying to kill him, or something more similar to the journeys they had been on together. He was in no way expected a little cabin seemingly in the middle of nowhere that Arthur disappeared into almost immediately. Merlin hung back, wanting to watch and figure out what was going on for a little while before entering and revealing himself. He could keep better watch from outside, anyway. Really, it was a little ridiculous how protective he felt of the prince. Another Alpha certainly wouldn't appreciate it, but he could neither explain nor resist it entirely.

He waited patiently all day, up in a tree where he could watch to see if Arthur came out but wouldn't be seen himself. When the sun started to go down, Merlin decided he had waited long enough and moved toward the cabin, intent on entering and figuring out exactly what was going on. As he neared it he caught a faint trace of scent, slight but definitely that of an Omega in heat, and grinned to himself. If Arthur had slipped away to bond to a mate, Merlin would stick around to insure the safety of both the prince and future consort, but wouldn't intervene. The only reason he continued was the distinct lack of any Alpha-scent accompanying the Omega's, so he decided it would be best to investigate further.

When he tried to enter, however, he couldn’t reach the cabin. There was a barrier which he walked the perimeter of, testing and pushing against it with his own magic, trying to see if he could get it to break or at least bend. He could, easily. The magic was strong, but nowhere near as powerful as his own and he knew by the time he was standing in front of the door again that he could easily enter if he pushed just a little bit more.

But the entire idea of Arthur being in a magically protected cabin set off warning bells. His father executed all sorcerers, after all, and Merlin was relatively sure Arthur shared his views of it. So with little more prompting than that, he pushed with his magic, breaking the barrier. When he reached for the door that time, it easily opened for him.

The scent was the first thing that hit him once he had opened the door. It was heat-scent, the same as he had been able to smell outside the cabin, but one like Merlin had never encountered before, and that was saying something. He slammed the door behind himself and pressed his back against it, casting his eyes around the one room that made up the cabin until his eyes landed on the bed and its occupant. Merlin quickly clapped a hand over his mouth and nose, trying to figure out what exactly was going on before the scent overwhelmed him and he lost his mind to the need to mate, which seemed to be rapidly happening. He forced it down in the same fashion he always did, or at least tried to. It wasn't working nearly as well as it usually did, the scent overpowering even through his efforts. It didn't help when the Omega on the bed - and that wasn't right, he was sure Arthur hadn't left, and why would he leave this Omega anyway, if that's what he had come for? - whimpered and seemed to curl in on himself, obviously distressed by the sudden scent of an Alpha.

It was only when the Omega rolled over and suddenly blue eyes were peering up at him that Merlin realized the Omega _was_ Arthur. That revelation only opened a whole new area for questioning, but he quickly forgot all about the strangeness of the situation as Arthur moaned and Merlin recognized his own name followed by what sounded like a 'Please'. In an instant, Merlin found himself stepping toward the bed, kneeling down beside it so he could be eye-level with the prince. He caught the hand that reached for him in his own and used the other to push the thin blanket that had been draped over Arthur's body down to the foot of the bed. 

"Hush," he gentled as another whimper escaped the prince. "I'm here, now. I'll take care of you, so hush, love."

Distantly, Merlin was aware that this went against many things he believed in. Arthur had no will to resist him right now, was not in his right mind and likely unaware of what was going on. But his scent - Merlin was helpless to resist it. The prince smelled like he had been made for him specifically, and his instincts told him they fit together perfectly, that this was meant to happen. Against his better judgment, Merlin allowed it to happen, climbing onto the bed and pressing open-mouthed kisses everywhere, running his hands everywhere and allowing Arthur to help in ridding himself of his own clothing, tossed carelessly to the floor in favor of pressing bare skin to bare skin. 

The next few hours were nothing but a hot and deeply satisfying blur of memories that melted into each other for Merlin. The next truly lucid memory he had was when he woke with the prince struggling in his arms. He immediately started cooing low in his throat, relaxing his grip but still making sure to keep Arthur close, one hand placed on his chest to feel Arthur's rapidly pounding heart. He inhaled at one point, and realized with a sickening dread that his scent clung to that of the prince. "Arthur," he tried quietly, pressing the other into the bed and using his weight and a soft growl to keep him there. "Calm down. You're safe, it's only me. You fool, why wouldn't you tell me you were an Omega? Too late now, of course. I've bonded you to me."

\---

When Arthur woke, it was in a panic. He remembered slipping into the same misery that was familiar to him, and he remembered how it suddenly intensified and then eased as the scent of an Alpha permeated the cabin, Merlin's scent. It immediately relaxed him; he trusted Merlin, he would take care of him, make him feel better. He called out and was obliged, there were hands on him and he didn't think he'd ever felt so wanted, so cherished and even loved, before in his life. After that it was just a rush of sensation, but now, his heat had slackened for the moment enough to give him some clarity of what had just happened. Merlin had claimed him. He had bonded, let himself be tied and owned. It was exactly what had never been supposed to happen.

When Merlin tried to calm him and pressed him back into the bed, Arthur arched upward and twisted in an attempt to push him off, blocking out the quiet words he knew were meant to comfort him. As much as his instincts were satisfied and telling him to give in to his Alpha's will and lie back down to sleep more before the next wave of the heat hit, he would admit he was terrified. It didn't matter that he was stronger than Merlin, though; he could feel more than the Alpha's hands keeping him from breaking free. There was something else, something that felt essentially like Merlin but _didn't_ , at the same time, holding him in place. 

"You idiot!" he hissed, thrashing despite how little of an effect it seemed to be having. "This was never supposed to happen! You can't have claimed me, you shouldn't have, I'm not allowed to have a mate!" He would have continued, but suddenly there were teeth buried in side of his neck, biting down hard, and he felt his entire body go slack and his frantic mind start to slow.

"There now," Merlin said quietly a moment later, once it seemed Arthur wasn't going to try and bolt again. "You don't have to be afraid," he continued, not moving away but shifting so he hovered over Arthur rather than pressed down onto him. "You are allowed to have a mate. You do have one. It can't be reversed."

Arthur's breathing started to speed up again at that, eyes wide and afraid because this wasn't him, he had never felt like this before, had no idea what being an Omega was like when he wasn't coming down off his heat. It had only ever hurt, but the desire for a mate was gone, sated and almost seeming to thrum happily at the deep-seated assurance that Merlin was his Alpha and he would make everything okay. "Merlin," he said finally, cringing as his voice trembled. He wanted the herbs that would repress the Omega nature, he wanted to be an Alpha, he couldn't stand feeling dependent on another person like he was just then.

Merlin just hushed him again, though, leaning down to kiss him until he was relaxed and pressing back into the kiss. In no way had he accepted that Merlin was his mate, but the other had coaxed him into relaxing for the moment at least, and once he did his heat flooded his senses again and he was lost in the Alpha.

\---

It took four days for Arthur's heat to end. Merlin convinced him to lay in bed quietly for a little while, but eventually he stood and started pacing the length of the cabin, alternating between yelling at Merlin for following him and letting himself be cradled and reassured as panic at both his situation and the rush of feelings that seemed to come with allowing his Omega nature to remain un-suppressed brought washed over him. It didn't help that he hated every moment he allowed that, feeling weak and helpless, which he certainly was not. He despised, more than anything, feeling weak and dependent on anyone else, yet that was exactly how his instincts were making him feel, urging him to just allow Merlin to figure everything out and make it okay again.

After the latest bout of that he shoved away, hands sliding up into his hair and pulling as he resumed pacing. Merlin continued to sit on the edge of the bed, looking up at Arthur with something like sorrow as he listened. "You don't understand," the prince was ranting at him. "I can't have a mate. How am I supposed to explain this to my father, to the _court_? I'm an Alpha, or at least everyone but my father, Gaius, and now you thinks I am. I could never bond to an Omega, as much as I might have wanted to. And an Alpha was out of the question for obvious reasons."

"Arthur, you need to calm down," Merlin tried, standing for the first time that morning and taking quick steps toward the prince. "Listen to me. It'll be alright, I swear. I'll explain; you don't have to. It's my fault after all." He wouldn't admit, not then at least, that he was not at all sorry for riding out after Arthur and then entering the cabin. It had answered the question of why he had always felt so deeply protective of Arthur, and he figured if he had known previously, he might very well have desired him for his mate. 

"You're right, it is your fault!" Arthur yelled, and Merlin realized he had said the wrong thing once again. He couldn't seem to assure Arthur like he could any other Omega, though he knew very well the reason why. He could tell just from the way he was acting that his personality and what he believed were at war with the instincts he had probably never had to deal with before. Arthur was head-strong and proud, after all, confident in everything he did and a natural leader. Nothing like an Omega, and Merlin doubted it was all thanks to the repression of his actual nature.

"Listen to me," Merlin repeated, his voice harder than it had been before. He took no pleasure from it when Arthur immediately snapped his jaw shut, giving him an indignant and angry look when he realized he had followed the order instantly. "I understand that you're confused," he said, his voice gentle again. "You don't understand how you're feeling, and you don't like it. I can tell that you're afraid as well, and - no, don't deny it," he added quickly when Arthur started to protest. "I know you, and when you're afraid you get angry and unreasonable because you hate feeling afraid and not in control."

Suddenly Arthur was in his arms again, pressing against him desperately, and Merlin huffed a fondly exasperated breath as he held the prince to his chest, swaying them both side to side slightly. "Accident or not, you're my mate now, and I don't regret anything," he said at little more than a whisper. "I would always have protected you anyway, but now it's my right to make sure you're safe and cared for. I'll fight your father tooth and nail if I have to, as well as anyone else who dares to think any differently of you for being an Omega. Your strength is your own, not a product of taking herbs to make you smell and think like an Alpha. You will be an amazing king one day no matter what." He smiled as he spoke, feeling the trembling in Arthur's body slow and eventually stop altogether, though he didn't loosen his grip any and Arthur didn't pull away. 

"I need to take the herbs to repress this nature. They take a day or so to start working fully and I'd like to get home as soon as possible," Arthur finally said, though he made no move to uncurl his hands from where they were fisted in the front of Merlin's tunic or to pick his head up from where it was tucked against Merlin's neck. 

"They won't do anything," Merlin said quietly, tightening his hold when he felt Arthur stiffen against him. He had figured out quite a great deal about the prince's situation since they had woken up that morning, Arthur yelling some of it at him and other times speaking in a hushed voice. "Those herbs are designed to repress the nature and scent of an unbonded Omega. Even if it does give you back your Alpha-scent, nothing can erase my scent from mixing with yours, and I'll still smell like you." He paused for a moment, trying to let that sink in before finally adding, "There's no way to cover up that we're mated, love."

"Don't call me that," Arthur said sharply, pulling back enough to glare at the Alpha. Of all the responses Merlin had expected to get, that was the last one he had considered. "You don't love me, so don't call me that." The undisguised loneliness and bitterness in his voice made Merlin ache for him, so he pulled the prince back to him with a hand on the back of his neck, not letting up until Arthur settled his head on his shoulder once again. 

"I don't love you pretending to be something you aren't, no. But as yourself, Arthur, I do. Perhaps not fully, not yet, but I know I will. It won't take long before I do, totally and completely. You're my prince, after all, and you're my mate now too." And in a way, he had loved the Alpha prince, as well. He would have given up his life for him without a second thought, protected him in any way possible. That hadn't changed any, but Merlin would admit he could already tell his devotion ran impossibly deeper than it had before. 

"I don't believe you," Arthur replied softly, not allowing himself to fully recognize what having Merlin as a mate meant. He looked only at the negative side of it: his father's wrath, the exposing of a lie that had been kept for so long, having to stand feeling like he needed to depend on Merlin. The more he listened, though, the harder it was becoming for him to look solely at that aspect and not take into account that all his fears of spending his life alone were gone and that he could stop living a lie. Only Merlin speaking again pulled him from his thoughts.

"You don't have to, right now at least," he was saying, "but do you trust me?"

Against his better judgment, Arthur quickly answered with, "Completely."

\---

The ride back to Camelot was, for the most part, peaceful. Each day Arthur relaxed a little bit more, slowly adjusting to thinking and feeling like an Omega. He still had moments of panic when he thought about what waited for them in Camelot or when he found himself looking to Merlin for guidance and comfort, but each time he did Merlin was there with soothing and reassuring words, swearing again and again that anyone who treated Arthur any differently would be in for it, trying to convince him that it was okay to let someone else take care of him once in a while. Merlin was only forced to assert his dominance over the other once, on the second day, when the issue of his magic came up. Arthur's panic attack had been just as bad as that of the morning after the heat ended. To prevent Arthur from doing something inadvisable, Merlin had forced him to the ground and bit down on his neck hard, which always insured Arthur would relax immediately. Once he had calmed the prince had asked if it wasn't possible for Merlin to use the magic to make them smell like they hadn't bonded, and Merlin had had to convince him that the chances of the spell slipping and revealing them both were incredibly high and it would be more effective just to admit everything right off the bat.

As much as the days often worried him, Arthur would admit to himself he enjoyed the night. Merlin didn't push for sex, knowing the Omega would still be sore, but he did curl himself around Arthur each evening. As soon as he started to fall asleep, Arthur's inhibitions fell away and he allowed himself to enjoy feeling safe in the arms of his mate, rolling over to press their chests together and tangle their legs. The smell of their intertwined scents was also something of a reassurance after he'd started to get used to not smelling at all like himself. 

By the time they did reach Camelot, mid-afternoon of the third day of travel, Arthur had almost accepted that he was mated to Merlin. Of course, when they did arrive, the first thing Arthur had to do was report to his father, as he always did upon returning from the almost two weeks spent away for his heat. He was a few days earlier than normal, thanks to not having waited for the herbs to start working again.

Fortunately, when Arthur entered the throne room, Uther was accompanied only by his manservant and Gaius. He walked down toward the throne, his gate even and confident, taking strength from feeling Merlin only a step behind him at his right shoulder. He watched as his father's eyes widened and then narrowed in anger, flicking his gaze over to see Gaius giving Merlin a horrified look. 

"What is the meaning of this?" was the first thing Uther asked, snapping his gaze between his son and Merlin. "Arthur, what have you done?"

"I have taken a mate," Arthur replied, and Merlin felt a swell of pride that the prince's voice was steady and calm. 

The sheer bluntness of the answer seemed to give Uther pause and he sat back in his throne, but it only lasted for a moment. He stood then, walking quickly towards Arthur, looking enraged. Before he had a chance to reach the prince, Merlin stepped around in front of him, meeting the king's gaze evenly. "You will step aside, servant, and allow me to speak with my son about this disgrace," he said.

"I'm afraid I will not," Merlin quickly replied, seeing with no small amount of guilt that Gaius paled considerably where he still stood. "You see," he continued, "Arthur is my mate and my Omega. I will protect him at any cost, from everything, even if that means confronting the king."

"You have no right-" Uther started, but was quickly cut off. Merlin could feel Arthur's hands curled into the back of his tunic, tugging, and while he knew the prince was probably trying to discourage and shut him up him rather than signal his approval, it was all the incentive he needed.

"I have no right? I have every right in the world. You are the one who had no right to do what you did. To repress Arthur's nature, force him to live as a fake and not be himself for his entire life, just because you were afraid other kingdoms might consider you weak for fathering an Omega instead of an Alpha. I shudder to think of you as a father, since you were so willing to damn your son to a life of misery. I don't imagine you have any idea what it's like to be an Omega, and I doubt you cared enough to look into the effect never taking a mate could have had on him. I know for a fact that even through the hormone suppressants Arthur still felt the ache of being alone, and eventually that need would have had extremely negative effects. Omegas don't do well on their own. That's partially why they have heats; to insure they have a mate to care for them. With what you did to him he could never have taken a mate. Did you expect the herbs to make him magically able to bond to another Omega? That's not how it works. How could you-" 

It was Arthur that finally stopped him, moving to slip between the two and face Merlin, curling his arms around the Alpha's neck and pressing a kiss to his jaw. "Please calm down," he said quietly, and until then, Merlin hadn't realized he had worked himself up to the point where he was shaking with his anger at the king. He was gratified to see the king looking more than a little shocked, though, so he wrapped his arms around Arthur's waist and brushed their cheeks together.

"Of course. I'm sorry," he answered quietly, though he continued to glare at Uther over Arthur's shoulder. The king had gone from shocked to furious and Merlin steeled himself, but Uther turned and rounded on Gaius instead.

"Is that true?" he asked the physician. "Would it have eventually been detrimental to Arthur's health for him to not have a mate?"

"The chances that it would have eventually caused him some harm are extremely high, yes," he said, then paused to clear his throat. He was obviously nervous, but did a good job at looking calm and collected. "I'm afraid most of the things Merlin said are true, sire." 

"And why did you never inform me of this?" the king continued to press, his voice having turned completely cold.

"I tried, sire," Gaius protested. "You believed that Arthur would live a better life and have an easier time preparing to someday take over the throne if his nature were repressed and changed to that of an Alpha, and nothing I said could sway you on the matter." 

With that seemingly settled, Uther turned back to Merlin. "Very well," he said. "Arthur will no longer be forced to present himself as an Alpha. However, that does not excuse the fact that you have committed treason. You are to leave the city by tomorrow morning and never return to Camelot. We'll find you a suitable mate, Arthur. Someone of status, unlike this servant of yours."

"You can't-" Merlin started, but there was no need. Arthur pulled away from him and stood to face his father, looking every inch the proud prince that he was.

"You cannot reverse the fact that Merlin is my Alpha, Father," he said. "And even if you somehow could, I have no desire to be parted from him. I trust him with my life. If you force him to leave, you will be endangering me. Bonded pairs don't do well under long term separation, especially if the bond is still new. It causes both Omega and Alpha physical pain, and eventually, it would very likely kill me." Speaking up and feeling no need to reach out for Merlin's hand made Arthur start to realize perhaps Merlin had been right in saying that his strength was his own, rather than because of the Alpha nature he had carried for so long. If that was truly the case, he could see no downside to having Merlin as his mate.

"Out of my sight," Uther finally said after a few long minutes, his voice low and threatening. "All of you. Go! And don't think this is the end of the matter, either." Arthur would have stayed and tried to reason with his father, but Merlin's fingers wrapped gently around his wrist and tugged lightly, and the prince turned away, allowing himself to be tucked in against Merlin's side as they walked from the throne room.

Once back in Arthur's chambers - their chambers, likely, now that they were mated - Arthur immediately folded himself into Merlin's arms. Smiling, the Alpha was happy to praise his mate for standing up to his father, even if it was something Arthur had done many times in the past. "You're so wonderful," he said, walking backwards until he felt his knees hit the bed. He pulled away from the prince long enough to prop up the pillows and lean back onto them, legs stretched out across the covers, and Arthur was quick to follow him and slot against his side, half-curled on his chest. "I told you your strength was your own," he continued once they were both settled, slipping his hand beneath the Omega's tunic to rub up and down his bare side and hip. "Revealing your nature isn't going to change anything. You'll prove to your knights right away that you can still whip them in a fight just as quickly. Beautiful Omega. There was no reason to be so afraid."

When Merlin looked down, he was thrilled to see that Arthur was smiling, and he looked up to meet the Alpha's gaze a moment later. "Thank you," he said, which Merlin had certainly never expected to hear. "You were right. It will all be okay. Better than okay, because-" He stopped, shook his head, and settled back down with what sounded like a content sigh. 'Because I don't have to feel so alone now,' is what they both knew he had been going to say. It didn't need saying, though. They were both fully aware; Merlin had known he was speaking the truth to the king when he'd tried to explain how the prince must have felt. He might never have been in that exact situation himself, but there was a reason he had never taken a mate before. His magic was a heavy secret to carry, one that had left him thinking he was better off alone. It would be unfair of him to subject any Omega to that secret, he had thought, because they would have to live in fear their entire life. If he was discovered and executed for it... He hated thinking of the effect it would have on his mate.

In many ways, Arthur was even more dangerous to have as a mate. Merlin was meant to protect him, after all. For the most part he'd convinced himself he was protecting Arthur in bonding with him. The prince wouldn't hurt anymore, after all, and the danger of not having a mate as he grew older wouldn't be there. Perhaps he would even change the laws on magic when he was king. But if anything happened to him, he was leaving behind the next ruler of Camelot, and he couldn't imagine a grieving and heartsick ruler would be a good one. Uther was a prime example of that.

He would just have to make sure he protected himself as well as Arthur, he decided. "Sleep, love of mine," he said after a few quiet moments, using his magic to drag the blankets up over the both of them despite still having clothes and shoes on. It may have only been mid-afternoon, but he hadn't slept well on the road, and he knew Arthur hadn't either, both of them too alert for proper rest and kept awake by worries. When they woke up, he figured they would have to deal with Uther again. And Gaius would probably want to- Merlin choked on the thought slightly, but gave his mate a reassuring smile when Arthur gave him a confused, half-asleep look. 

Gaius would want to check Arthur over, as he did with all Omegas after their bonding heats if they came to him. He would be looking for any complications of course, and to see if there had been a conception.

He hadn't even considered the possibility that Arthur was pregnant. It was a very real possibility, he knew; the prince was in excellent shape, incredibly healthy, and he ate well. He would be very fertile, at least without the suppressants. Merlin wasn't sure if those would have had an effect on his fertility or not. He knew it was a selfish thing to be thinking, but he hoped they had. He really didn't think he was ready for a child, especially not when this entire relationship with Arthur was still so new. Permanent as it may have been, they still had a lot to figure out, and a child wouldn't help that process along any.

If he was, though... Merlin knew he would leave the choice to Arthur. It was his body, after all, and Merlin would support him either way. He considering bringing it up then, but the Omega had seemed to finally relax and accept that he was a bonded Omega, and he didn't want to disturb the likely temporary peace. So instead, he sighed quietly and turned to press his nose into the soft blond hair of his mate, shutting out the worries that remained with him to enjoy the quiet moment. Arthur was asleep, he could tell by the steady, deep rise and fall of his chest and breaths, and he could feel the other's heartbeat against his ribcage. Lulled by these things, it wasn't long before Merlin fell asleep as well, subconsciously curling a little more around Arthur.

\---

The quiet, almost happy-seeming and content Arthur was as temporary as Merlin had feared.

He had woken up that morning in a mood far more pleasant than Merlin had expected, offering light kisses and touches easily between their normal bickering, whining when Merlin ate off his plate after their breakfast was brought up, and not being nearly as vicious as he had been when the poor boy sent up to fit the prince in his armor pulled a little too tightly on one of the buckles. Although, Merlin did still have to send the boy away and finish adjusting the armor himself with quick, practiced hands. 

Things only started to go downhill when they arrived on the training field, the knights who had already started sparring with each other in jest stopping to watch their prince with narrowed, confused gazes. Arthur's confident strides faltered and then stopped completely. Immediately, Merlin gathered him close, pressed up against the Omega's back, and had to bite back a growl when he thought he heard Arthur whimper quietly. 

"Remember what I said," he urged quietly, "Your strength is not a product of your nature. You are just as strong as you were before you bonded to me; you just have to show them that. Once you do, everything will go back to how it always has been. These men love you, Arthur. They just don't understand. Once they know nothing has changed, it will all be alright."

"Right," Arthur said, pulling away and starting to walk forward again, drawing his sword as he did so. Merlin grinned at the confident tone of voice, trailing along a step behind and to the right of the prince. He started to give orders as they neared the knights, but when Arthur settled into position and raised his sword, beckoning forward anyone who wished to challenge him, the knights remained still, swords at their sides or not drawn at all.

"Come on," Arthur called, the familiar cocky edge to his tone, but Merlin's grin faded slowly as the knights continued to shift awkwardly and remain where they stood. 

It was Bedivere that spoke up finally, clearing his throat and glancing around before taking a step toward Arthur. "Begging your pardon, sire," he started, then paused before deciding to push forward. "I believe I speak for all of us when I say I'm honestly a bit confused. Your scent isn't your own, but of an Omega and Merlin. There was a rumor started yesterday afternoon, going around the servants, that you came home a bonded Omega, but none of us believed it."

Sighing, Arthur stood straight and ran a hand up into his hair, grimacing as he no doubt tried to think of a way to explain the situation. Merlin wanted to go over to him and explain for him, but he knew it would be unappreciated. He may have been an Omega, but Merlin knew better than to think Arthur would ever take kindly to being coddled or not allowed to fight his own battles. "What you smell now is my true scent," he finally said. "The Alpha-scent you were all so familiar with was a product of herbs that I took for years to suppress my nature and give me that of an Alpha. I've taken a mate now, however, and no herb can cover up Merlin's scent, so it's time you all know your prince for what he is." He held his arms out from his sides for a few moments, challenging anyone to speak against him, before sinking once again into a defensive position. "Now, I'll say again, it's time for training to start."

Once again, though, the knights remained where they stood, shifting, and Merlin couldn't help the growl that rose, unbidden. He could tell Arthur was starting to doubt himself once again, and for an instant, he hated the men for it. What right did they have, after all, to make Arthur question his right to be happy and have a mate? None, he knew, and he started forward, but it took only a sideways glare from Arthur to stay him again. He had to allow him to do this on his own.

"Are you afraid?" he mocked. "Afraid of what, exactly? That you might hurt me? Or that you might find yourselves bested by an Omega? If the first is your worry, then put it out of your heads, it's complete nonsense. No, I'd be much more worried about the second. I may smell different, but believe me, that's the only thing that's changed!" 

Some still looked wary and unsure, but Arthur always had been good at getting his knights to do whatever he wanted them to, and it wasn't long before Lamorak, one of the more rash, younger knights, drew his sword and rushed Arthur. The prince only grinned, relaxing into the spar quickly and gaining confidence as he realized his body wielded the sword as fluidly and instinctively as it had before he had left for his last heat. 

After that, Merlin let himself relax, too. He settled down on the edge of the field, always keeping one eye on Arthur, though his mind wandered. He figured everything would be all right now; the knights and the king had been Arthur biggest worries, and now both those issues seemed smoothed over. Well, the knights at least. Merlin was relatively sure he'd be having more words with Uther before the issue was let alone, but he was also sure there was nothing the king could do about it. 

When Arthur called an end to the training session, he continued to hang back and work a bit more with some of the younger knights while the older men trailed off, so Merlin continued to lounge on the grass, staring up at the cloudless sky. He startled when someone else sat down next to him, but relaxed again when he saw it was only Gwaine. The knight seemed to take a curious sniff of the air, then wrinkled his nose. "You reek of Arthur," he said after a few minutes. Merlin merely shook his head and rolled his eyes.

"I wonder why? It's not like I've bonded him or anything," he responded dryly, sitting up in time to watch Arthur adjust the hold one of the newest knights had on his sword. 

"You gave us quite a shock today," Gwaine continued, and the suddenly serious tone prompted Merlin to shift his attention back to the other Alpha. "He's always been one of us. The two of you coming out here today... I'm not sure some of them will ever view a lot of things the same again. The prince suddenly showing up as not only an Omega, but a bonded one, threw most for a loop that'll take them a while to recover from."

"And you?" Merlin prompted after a few minutes of thick silence. As much as many of the knights were his friends, he didn't care that they had been shocked. Not having a mate had been hurting Arthur, and now that pain was gone, so that was the only thing that mattered.

"Me? I just think you're a damn lucky Alpha." With that, the teasing note was back in Gwaine's voice as he bumped his shoulder into Merlin's, who grinned and relaxed again. "He is beautiful, after all."

And that was certainly not a point Merlin was going to argue, especially not after watching Arthur completely in his element. "Yeah," he said instead, his voice suddenly very fond. "Yeah, he really is." They both lapsed into silence after that, and when Arthur finally finished and trotted over toward them, looking pleased with himself, Merlin stood to greet him. He wasn't all that surprised when Arthur brushed past him with only a small smile rather than the embrace that had been offered, so he just shrugged to Gwaine and followed along after the prince.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm a little bit stuck with indecision on where to go with this, so please, it would be lovely if you could drop a comment and let me know what you liked and what you didn't. It would be very helpful.


End file.
